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Thursday, April 30, 2015

When you download Uber's app and get into a car summoned on demand via a smart phone reservation system, by default you agree to a litany of terms and conditions. When you agree to these very stringent terms, you basically sign your life away, consumer advocates say. So then, what happens when a driver hits you on the head with a hammer, as one passenger claims, or fatally knocking down a 6 year old girl?

Uber is a so-called ride-sharing service that puts potential drivers through their own background check so that they can become an impromptu taxi driver using their own car and Uber's tech & taximeter. The truth is- as evidenced by the intelligent girl I spoke with on the radio- people don't know what they're getting into when they get in to an Uber car, nor do they know what they're getting into when they download the app

Uber's terms and conditions are a way for the company to absolve itself of any liability in cases of injury or accident and to avoid responsibility for a driver's actions. It completely covers themselves by saying they are not responsible for anything that happens to you, the consumer. You can be raped, you can be abused, in fact, you can be murdered, and it's categorically not Uber’s responsibility.

When asked about the protections Uber offers passengers, a spokesperson refers to it’s webpage on safety. Uber PR herald the service as being ultra-safe. However, Uber's statements on safety are antithetical to its terms and conditions. In fact, It's so duplicitous that it should be considered fraudulent. They do not in any way seek to warrant that their product is safe. They put it right there in unambiguous terminology

The fine print of Uber terms clearly says that “passengers accept a risk by using the service. You understand, therefore, that by using the application and the service, you may be exposed to transportation that is potentially dangerous, offensive, harmful to minors, unsafe or otherwise objectionable," Uber's terms and conditions read, "and that you use the application and the service at your own risk."

What is of upmost importance to me is that TfL refer Private Hire impropriety back to the PH Operator. Absurd in itself. But, considering TFL have granted Uber a private hire operators license, and considering Uber make it blatantly clear that they accept no liability whatsoever for the driver’s behaviour, then who is responsible? Conclusively, they can only be regarded as a Public Hire service. So, compliance is a matter for arbitrament re: the ‘Conditions of Fitness’

Full support from the French, Itanian and German colleagues, but will we get support from the LTDA, LCDC, Unite and the RMT?

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

TAXI drivers are getting hot under the collar after new guidelines barring them from wearing shorts are set to come into force within days

A petition, which has more than 500 signatures, has been launched against Denbighshire Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver Dress Code which will prevent drivers wearing shorts of any kind.

Taxi driver David Lloyd, aged 44, who works for Leddens Taxis, launched the petition which has been signed by members of the public and other taxi drivers.

He said: “They have gone too far. Women can wear skirts below the knee but men are not able to wear shorts below the knee.

“There is no harm in it. We are only trying to keep cool.”

Mr Lloyd, who has been a taxi driver for six years, said during the summer months temperatures in cabs can reach upwards of 30 degrees celsius.

The new guidelines were approved by Denbighshire Council’ s Licensing Committee in March and the new dress code will come into force on Friday.

The original proposals were to allow shorts, if tailored and to the knee or below, but an amendment proposed by Prestatyn councillor Hugh Irving during the meeting changed the guidelines to “no shorts may be worn”.

It passed as some committee members felt ‘wearing shorts did not convey a professional image’.

Rhyl resident, Mr Lloyd, added: “We are talking about wearing tailored or three-quarter length shorts, not short shorts. It gets very hot in the summer and shorts are vital to help us keep cool. Not all cabs have air conditioning. It is an infringement of our human rights.

“Some drivers are sat waiting for a job for an hour, it is not fair they can’t keep cool in their working environment. I would like the council to re-think this and put some consideration into what people go through.

A report to March’s committee meeting said: “In addition to the written consultation with all licence holders, officers arranged a workshop session and invited all licence holders.

“Out of approximately 400 licensees, six attended the workshop session.

“All licence holders that attended were fully engaged and their contribution was valued by officers.

“The views and comments made by licence holders have been fully considered and where it was felt necessary to amend the proposed dress code, the decision to amend was, in most cases, taken unanimously.”

During the meeting councillors Joan Butterfield and Bill Cowie voted against the amendment.

RMT hits back at "Gestapo" jibe as Peter Hendy is forced to apologise for calling services "sh*t".

General Secretary Mick Cash said

"Sir Peter Hendy's expletive driven comments were clearly a cynical attempt to drag commuter rail services into the TFL operation at a time when his own cuts programme has reduced the tube services he is responsible for to chaos on a regular basis.

"Train crew staff were also disgusted that Sir Peter Hendy described them as "Gestapo". We are still waiting for an apology for that outrageous slur.

"The fact is that it is privatisation and profiteering that has wrecked our train services and the transport commissioner should recognise that hard truth before he resorts to chucking insults at RMT members. "

Ends.

News Extra: ITV News.

Mr Hendy has written to David Brown, chief executive of the Go-Ahead Group, and David Statham, managing director, to apologise to all employees for the remarks.

I am quoted in Management Today being offensive about Southeastern trains and its staff. My comment is unjustified and excessive and I apologise.

I know everyone there is doing their best to offer a good service in the context of the franchise you have and the infrastructure you operate on.

If there is a context, the interview was several weeks ago during the worst of the issues at London Bridge. But that's not an excuse. Passion is no excuse for insult. Sorry

– SIR PETER HENDY, TFL COMMISSIONER

Funny though, Sir Peter never mention the word Gestapo in his apology. He made a good point saying Passion is no excuse for insult. Let's hope he remembers this, next time he attends City Hall inquiry.

Editorial Comment:

So, it's a case of don't do as I do, do as I say.

Hendy, the man who appeared to be greatly offended, when at City Hall he inferred he was being referred to as corrupt by "a few bad Taxi drivers", has hypocritically referred to Train Workers as "Gestapo".

Although Hendy apologised for calling the train service Sh*t, the offended workers are still waiting for an apology over this outrageous slur.

Hendy who was outed last year over the adulterous use of an online prostitute. After news paper articles about the affair, Hendy appeared on the Nick Ferrari LBC radio show, where he stated he was "no ones moral compass". This latest outburst would add credence to that statement.

In a joint venture, both Taxi and Private Hire drivers will shortly be calling for Hendy's resignation, after allegations that the TfL transport commissioner has failed to protect the public from services that do not conform to Taxi and Private Hire regulation.

There have been more demonstrations by Taxi drivers since Hendy took over as commisioner in charge of Taxis Licensing, than in the previous 335 years of the Hackney Carriage Charter.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

A minicab driver who has been living in northwest London for the past eight years was “directly involved” in making a bomb which killed a American sergeant on patrol in Iraq in 2007, a court was told.

Anis Abid Sardar, 38, from Wembley, is accused of the murder of Sergeant First Class Randy Johnson, who was killed while on duty in Iraq in September 2007.

Mr Sardar was said to be “directly involved in making bombs for use in Iraq during 2007” but was probably based across the border in Damascus in Syria.

Prosecutors claim that Sardar made several bombs before his return to the UK in November 2007. His passport on arrival at Heathrow airport on November 22 showed he had passed through Damascus Airport three days earlier.

Earlier, he had contacted the British embassy in Damascus to seek a new British passport as he claimed he had lost his original one.

Sardar said he had travelled to Syria to learn Arabic. When his home in North London was searched by police before his arrest last September, they found books suggesting an 'advanced understanding of Arabic' as well as an Arabic language bomb-making manual.

Opening his case at Woolwich Crown Court, prosecutor Max Hill said: 'This is an unusual trial, in that almost all of the evidence you will hear and see comes from Iraq.

'The offences, we say, are the most serious imaginable, and the British link is the fact that the defendant, a British citizen, lives and works here.

For that reason, it is lawful to place him on trial in London, even though the activities you will hear about too place far away in Iraq'.

Our top researcher has made an FOI request, to find out how much money TfL made by advertising Uber in the short time their advert ran on TfL websites.

We have been informed that the Uber campaign started on 8th August 2014. After complaints, the ads were removed from all Taxi and Private Hire sections of the TfL network Web pages, on the 25th November 2014. In that time, TfL received £340.44 in income from Uber.

The next part of our FOI request was jaw dropping stuff.

We asked how much TfL were paid in advertising revenue in the last financial year by other Private Hire Companies.

We have been informed TfL received 78,044 from a total of 11 advertisers.

We were also informed that the majority of the money came from advertising on bus shelters and round-about small boards.

TfL say they received a total of £2044 from Billboards advertising Private Hire companies on the red rout network.

Apparently one taxi trade organisation and possibly others are pushing the idea that we should be amending out fare structure, it's rumoured that proposals include:

The abolition of Rate 2, Rate 3 after midnight only and low fixed fares to LAP.

So instead of campaigning to rid the streets of pirates whose cost base we could never compete with and whose business models are propped up by Tax Credits and Housing Benefit and non domiciled operators.

It has been decided without consulting any of the subscription paying membership that the race to the bottom is the way to go.

TfL will soon be expecting us to find somewhere North of 50K for a ULEZ compliant cab that will no doubt be advertised in their trade rag!

Well in the sprit of the headline, transparency and yes good old fair play, these people need to declare their interests as follows:

1. How much they are paid either in salary or stand down pay from their involvement in cab trade matters?

2. If they enjoy free or favourable rates for cab rental, insurance or service work?

3. Any other benefits such as health care, income protection etc?

Anyone who decides on my behalf to volunteer to reduce me and my families pay rate had better be squeaky clean on each and every item and be prepared to publicly publish audited figures.

After all that's what my Taximeter does, not a penny more or less, no doubt these 'Chuck away Charlie's' will be reducing their organisations subs, stand down pay and of course getting us reduced insurance, road tax, cab rental to soften the blow they are advocating.

After all Fares Fair!

Don't hold your breath.

I'm Spartacus

Editorial Comment:

Reducing our rate will not bring back the work.

It will just mean drivers will be working the same hours, doing the same jobs, for less money.

Our trades return to a more stable working environment can only be achieved through TfL carrying out their statutory enforcement obligations as laid down by parliamentary.

At present TfL have been found by a GLA inquiry to be woefully inadequate and have reduced the Taxi and Private Hire industries to a free for all, by operating a blind eye policy towards the licensing and enforcement of new incumbents.

Mayor Boris Johnson said we need to up our game....really?

We are the gold standard world renowned Taxi service, voted the best Taxi Service in the world fir the past seven years.

Drivers have to go through the most gruelling entrance process ever devised for a day to day job.

Every driver is accountable in person to the licensing authority and identifiable through vehicle registration, TfL vehicle licence plate, driver identification badges, clearly displayed in both front and rear windows and the driver wears a uniquely numbered metal badge.

Our prices are approved and controlled by parliament and every drivers carries full hire and reward lability insurance. Also, every driver speaks English, has been cleared by DBS criminal records check, plus every driver has satisfied the licensing authority that he/she are a fit and proper person to hold a Hackney Carriage Licence.

Our technology includes radio vehicle identifiable dispatch, and we have a number of smart phone apps. One particular smart phone app is currently years ahead of any competitor.

Last night around 1o/c, while heading north along Praed Street W2, I noticed a number of Taxis by the Hilton, the front two of which were being interviewed by what looked like PCOs.

I decided to park up and have a chat. There were a few questions I wanted to ask and as I've never managed to get myself badge and billed, this seemed like a perfect opportunity.

With light off and badge removed, I parked short of the Hilton entrance and walked up to the two taxis on the back of the queue. I explained to the drivers that the two cabs in front were probably being done by Carriage Officers and they both drove off reminiscent to the Le Mans start.

I approached one jolly looking male CO and asked him if he was Badge and Billing and he replied with a huge smile, "no, we are doing Taxis for unauthorised ranking, forming an unauthorised rank". He then pulled out a massive copy of the Abstract of Law.

He said "I can post you a copy of this if you'd like to give me your name and address".

I declined having collected a few versions of the AOL over the years. I asked him why he wasn't in Berkeley Street Mayfair giving the touts who are putting the public at risk, a hard time and he said:

"Because we are here".

I asked him why he had failed to be there the previous evening, when there was a line of PH touts accosting members of the public leaving the station? and he said:

"Minicabs don't tout here and I don't work Saturdays", again with a big smile.

I assume this is what they call intelligence based in enforcement.

By now, drivers had realised what was occurring and were driving past and the ones that hadn't noticed I waved on. Amazingly, the three PCOs stood up against the wall, like naughty kids in the playground.

I asked the female officer (who was wearing a huge badge on a chain round her neck, Cagney and Lacy style):

"Since you've been doing this job, how many private hire drivers have you Badged and Billed?"

"None" she replied.

"None! Why's that?"

"Because we're not told to".

So there you have it, from the horses mouth....PCOs are ordered to deal only with Taxi drivers.

The younger PCO who wasn't wearing a badge identification then piped up with:

"Minicabs don't have Badges or Bills" he said.

"Well that's where your wrong fella" I replied. "They have a photo badge ID badge which they are supposed to wear and also a TfL licence, same as a Taxi driver, shouldn't it be your job to know this?"

I turned to the older male officer and said:

"I think you should post your mate an Abstract of Law for Private Hire drivers as he is trying to enforce regulations without knowing the legislation and that's not right".

I got the feeling they were feeling uncomfortable with my questions and they decided to leave. I got back in my Cab and watched them turn into London Street where a dark coloured minicab was waiting for them.

Perhaps TfL compliance/enforcement bosses should listen to Rachael Griffin of the Susie Lamplugh trust's interview where she stipulates that touting is one of the biggest suppliers of fresh victims to sexual predators.

The two Taxi driver who will be reported for forming an unauthorised rank, were doing no more than offering a service to members of the public, looking for a Taxi. They were also stopping these people being touted by licensed and unlicensed Minicab touts and possible sexual predators. By their actions, these three heroes from Palestra are putting members of the public in harms way.

If these three PCO officers are a shinning example of the mythical 400 enforcement team that Garret Emmerson was so eager to mention last Tuesday, then the public are really at risk and we can expect to see serious sexual assaults including rape statistic, climb even higher.

Well done Boris, Sir Peter Hendy and Leon Daniels, you must all be very proud.

But how do you sleep at night knowing full well, that by your inaction, you are ultimately responsible for placing members of the public in danger?

If Uber are circumventing the law, and if TFL have failed - with intent- in their duty to enforce laws parliament have deemed fit to keep in place, then why are we doing things by the book.

I believe we are afforded a unique opportunity, albeit finite, to organise ourselves outside of the usual prescribed parameters of doing things.

The eternal wait for a High Court decision to determine the meaning of a taxi meter is a stalling tactic of which will be of little consequence.

• If the judge rules in our favour, Uber (and others) will make a couple of minor alterations, allowing them to continue.

• If The decision goes against us it will be disastrous, not least because we have allowed the High Court to determine our destiny.

In the first instance, The trade should issue a statement that we no longer recognise Peter Hendy as regulator or arbiter of the licensed taxi trade.

He is an appointed official therefore is operating without advocacy, and we cannot align ourselves with a regulator that does not work in the interests of the trade. He has overseen the utter decimation to the potential earnings of sole traders who are forced to meet the inflated running costs of a TFL authorised vehicle.

The well-being of the licensed taxi industry is synonymous with the well-being and safety of the travelling public, he has therefore, unequivocally, failed on both accounts.

But most of all, the tried and tested formulas of dealing with Trade disputes, or changes to prevailing standards, no longer apply.

Silicone Valley has changed the rules entirely.

Effectively, an off shore company has walked in to Britain and been allowed to run roughshod through UK legislation. By allowing them to operate, TfL has set a precedent that big dollar corporations can dictate UK policy. No one, no matter what industry you are in, should welcome that, and it's crucial to convey the magnitude of that to the public.

The only way I can see it working is if we are a bigger disrupter than the disruptors. I believe if we could galvanise support from 5000 members and bring London's economy to a grinding halt, every day for a week, or even more, we will then call the shots and Uber's operation will be shut down or tailored to our terms.

Furthermore, it will also deem us as a mighty force to be reckoned with and will discourage future 'viral' infiltrations into the trade.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Many people say we are expensive and that they would rather use the cheap minicab touts.

But what price do you put on your safety?

Below is a story sent to Taxi Leaks by a victim of a minicab predator. Just one of the alleged 21 minicab rapes from the last year.

That's just the ones that were reported, the Met Police suggest 90% of rapes and sexual assaults go unreported. This factor would put the yearly figure closer to a staggering 200, or to put it another way, approximately 4 a week.

The fact is, a safe Taxi home is not expensive,

ITS PRICELESS.

Rebecca's Story:

"I can still remember certain smells, that send me into a state of panic. The vanilla air freshener, his breath from the Red Bull he kept swigging and his cheap aftershave was pungent.

These smells always take me back to that moment he held me down and raped me in the back of his minicab.

I'd been out clubbing with my friend in Shoreditch and it was the early hours of the morning. We'd had a good drink and now ready for bed, we stood on the kerb looking for the orange light of a Taxi to take us home

Just as we were about to phone for a taxi, a private hire minicab pulled up. The driver asked if we wanted a cab. He asked us where we were going, my friend Brenda lived on Garret Lane, then me onto Putney. He quoted a ridiculously cheap fare and even agreed to go via McDonald's Wandsworth drive through as Brenda was hungry.

We arrived at my friends house. 'Text me as soon as you're home' she said.

The minicab drove off again but stopped at a newsagents. 'I'm thirsty,' he said. 'Do you want anything?'

I asked for a Lucozade, thinking it might help sober me up.

But when he handed it to me, I was aware that the seal had been broken. Halfway through drinking it, I realised it seemed to taste weird, so I stopped drinking. I never thought for one moment that he'd actually spiked my drink.

At some point, Brenda called my phone;

'Where are you?' she asked worriedly.

But before I could answer, the driver snatched the phone and said "She wants to come home with me", then he laughed, which really freaked me out.

Things were becoming more blurry and I could hear Brenda going mad, shouting at him to take me straight home, but he just laughed.

He slipped the phone back into my bag and I started to relax slightly as the area seemed familiar. But at the last minute, he didn't turn into my street. Instead, he pulled into a deserted side street.

He got out and came round to my door and then roughly pulled me out. That's when I started to scream.

He grabbed my neck in a head lock and said he would kill me if I screemed again. He opened the rear door and pushed me onto the back seat and climbed in on top of me, ripping at my clothing. My whole body froze, and I blacked out.

When I came round, he was still on top of me. I could hear him, I could smell him, but I couldn't feel him. It was like my body, my mind, my ability to talk, everything was paralysed.

When he was done, he dragged me out on the pavement, almost naked and he drove off.

I lay there crying until a young couple in a passing car pulled up and called the police. Brenda had heard everything, as when he'd put the mobile in my bag, he failed to turn it off.

Through CCTV the driver was traced and arrested. Although the evidence against him was strong, he denied rape. When I stood up in court, his barrister called me a liar and said I'd offered sex in exchange for the fare. I felt isolated and frightened all over again.

But with the witness statements from my friend and the young couple, plus the police drug test result, the verdict came back guilty. I broke down, overwhelmed to know that people had believed me. The driver was sentenced to nine years.

It's been tough, but with counselling, I've finally realised that although the attack will always be a part of me, I won't let it take over my life."

IF YOU NEED HELPFor confidential advice and support contact Rape Crisis on 0808 802 9999

Friday, April 24, 2015

A minicab driver and his friend have been jailed after the driver picked up a woman in Shoreditch, kidnaped her, then took her to a house in E17 where she was raped.

Salah Mohammed. Mohammed Sallah

The minicab driver who was touting, accepted the fare to take a young woman home, but instead drove her to his friend’s house. Both men were given custodial sentences on Thursday, 23 April at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Salah Mohammed, 31 (03.05.1983) of Varley Road, E16 had been found guilty of kidnap and encouraging, or assisting the commission of a serious offence, namely rape and jailed for nine years.

His friend, Mohammed Sallah, 38 (01.01.1977) of Hylands Road, E17 had pleaded guilty to rape at an earlier hearing and was jailed for seven years two months.

The court heard how on the night of Friday, 7 March 2014 Salah Mohammed was touting and having his car cleaned at the carwash on Great Eastern Street, EC1. He was approached by the victim’s friend, who asked him to take the victim home. The victim had been drinking and felt unwell.

He was given £10 for the fare and the victim’s friend took a photograph of the vehicle’s registration plate. The friend also called the victim’s family and said that the victim, a woman in her twenties, was on her way home.

When the victim did not arrive at her home address, her non-appearance was reported to police during the early hours of 8 March. It transpired that instead of taking her home, Mohammed had taken the victim to the home of his friend, Mohammed Sallah ,eight miles away in Walthamstow, where Sallah raped her in his house.

After the rape the victim was taken by Salah Mohammed to Wood Green where she was let out of the car and was able to contact her family and speak to police to report the offence.

Detective Constable Dele Bolude from the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “This was a despicable crime. I would like to praise the victim’s courage in coming forward and reporting it to police. I hope that this sentence sends a clear message regarding the seriousness of this type of offending and gives other victims of sexual offences the courage to come forward.”

Detective Inspector Simon Giles from the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “The Met Police is committed to prosecuting sex offenders and working with partners to support victims of crime. The events of March 8 last year have had a devastating effect on the victim but I hope that these convictions will give her some comfort and closure on her road to recovery.”